Memories/Recollections

Sara was, for me, at the heart of the Pros fandom, especially in the UK but internationally too, in publishing, organising and attending cons, maintaining libraries, encouraging, enabling, a fount of Pros knowledge. Sara introduced me to so many people who have become dear friends, she published some wonderful zines, and remained in active touch with people in the fandom until her death. .....A great loss to Pros fandom, I shall miss her.[2]

Very sorry indeed to learn of the death of Sara Slinn, owner of Gryphon and Pear Tree Press zines, a central figure in Pros fandom for many years, and a much valued friend.[3]

[Do you remember the first Pros story you read?]

Strange as it may seem, when I read my first Pros story I didn't know it was a Pros story! And the same can be said for the second one I read too!

That first story was The Larton Chronicles, and the version I read was the one that had been adapted for a mainstream publisher, Wayward Books. I was totally captivated by the two main characters in the book ('Mike' and 'Rob' as they were called) and everything else about the story, so much so that for the first time in my life I finished a book and went straight back to page one and read it again!

I next read another title from Wayward, Kind Hearts. Yet again I loved both the story and the two main characters, and I found myself intrigued by the fact that these two men (who by this time were starting to get under my skin more than somewhat) were so like the characters in Larton, even though the books were by different authors. So intrigued was I that I wrote to the publisher and asked whether both books were in fact written by the same author. It was then that I discovered that both Larton and Kind Hearts had actually originated as Professionals fanfiction, which was a bit of a revelation to me because until then I never even knew that fanfiction existed! The publisher, Sara [S] (she of Gryphon Press and Circuit Library fame), then very kindly explained to me all about zines, and the Circuit Library and Nattercon... and a whole new world opened up for me![4]

References

↑ "Wayward books is run by [Sara S], who also runs two fannish zine publications, Gryphon Press and Peartree Press. Sara's in England. Sara's also got a fantastic reputation when it comes to customer service. I've never, ever heard any complaints about her in regards to any of the presses (Gryphon, Peartree, or Wayward." -- 2012 comment by taverymate at Camera Shy, Prosfinder